Great Couples Counselling in Abbotsford, BC. Therapy to heal relationships.

I use the Gottman method to help couples work through their marital concerns to establish a friendship, nurture a stronger emotional bond, find shared meaning, and learn skills for conflict resolution. Couples typically engage in therapy to strengthen their connection, cope with crisis situations, and improve communication. I work with partners to instill a sense of understanding by breaking unhealthy patterns of communication and behaviours that may be showing up due to earlier experiences. Couples are provided with the opportunity to navigate through difficult relational dynamics to achieve happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction in their relationship.

Olivia is deeply passionate about helping couples at every stage of their relationship. Her true heart lies in supporting couples to enhance their connection, foster healing, and restore their bond. Olivia combines her extensive experience in counseling with practical tools to equip couples with effective communication, conflict resolution, and relationship-building strategies. She also has a unique ability to address deeper-rooted issues, guiding partners to uncover and resolve underlying patterns that may be causing strain. Whether helping couples prepare for a lifetime together or overcome hardships, Olivia is committed to nurturing growth, understanding, and lasting restoration.

Loving, successful relationships need to be carefully and skillfully nurtured in the following five areas: Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Sexual, Financial. Couples who are ready to do ongoing work on their relationships are richly rewarded with a loving, meaningful and joyful life together. Committed relationships that have the possibility of morphing into long term relationships benefit greatly by being guided by the Gottman research on relationships as well as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Premarital Counselling prepares a couple for a new stage in their relationship by identifying potential areas of conflict and strength and developing tools to create a strong foundation.

The first step with my approach to couples therapy is for us to establish rapport as you inform me of the problem that has brought you to therapy. I use a Choice Theory approach which includes defining more closely what each of you want for yourselves as individuals and the relationship as a whole. From there, we get to work on rebuilding trust in the relationship by enhancing communication skills so each of you feel listened to, heard, and respected. Then we can build on trust to establish the changes needed to restore the happiness that brought you together in the first place.

I have been in practise for a long time and much of my training and experience is in couples counselling. It is a privilege and opportunity to work with couples and more often than not we see successful outcomes. There is never a more satisfying feeling than seeing couples making important decisions for their future while keeping a priority of each person's own emotional well being!

Couples counselling is an opportunity for two people to re-learn the art of communication and the art of love. There are several homework assignments that I use as well as cognitive strategies. I work with couples to find the value in the others actions: how do you know you are loved without hearing words. Over time there can be an erosion in respect. We work to knit the rift together again and rejoin in a united belief of their relationship.

In working with couples, I use an emotionally focused therapy approach (EFT). Sometimes the treatment process benefits from drawing on other sources such as Narrative therapy, Gottman, or Experiential therapy however my foundation works from EFT. I have experience in working with EFT in various couple dynamics.

Couples counselling can be sought at any stage of your relationship. By meeting you where you are in your journey together, I can offer several tools to enhance communication; cultivate understanding; increase capacity for connection and intimacy; adequately manage conflict and navigate boundaries. Through the use of several therapeutic interventions, I can work to uncover deep-rooted concerns that are affecting the quality of your relationship. And namely, offer appropriate, effective solutions. We can work collaboratively to resolve conflict, manage expectations and deal with various challenges including, but not limited to infidelity.

If you're looking to improve your relationship, we'd work together to create a supportive environment for discussion, allowing each of you to share your perspective and experience. With important conversations and empathetic questions, there's opportunity to truly see each other and to collaborate to resolve the issues rather than engaging in blame. Together, we'd uncover experiences that promote mutual understanding, empathy and appreciation. Through this process you'll gain insights, develop new ways of communicating, strengthen your connection and establish a more fulfilling and harmonious relationship.

I emphasize creating a safe and supportive space where partners can openly explore their relationship dynamics, improve communication, and cultivate deeper intimacy. Whether couples are facing conflicts, navigating transitions, or seeking to strengthen their bond, I employ evidence-based techniques tailored to their specific needs and goals. By fostering empathy, facilitating constructive dialogue, and promoting mutual understanding, partners gain insight into their relationship patterns and develop practical skills to navigate challenges collaboratively. Couples benefit from learning effective communication strategies, conflict resolution techniques, and tools to rebuild trust and intimacy.

Healing and growing in our sexuality & eroticism can help us understand ourselves and our partners in ways we may have never been privileged to before. It opens us to the appreciation of the full depth and breadth of human erotic expression. I work with individuals and couples. My approach is informed by training as an Erotic Blueprint Coach, somatic attachment and conscious kink. All forms of love, relationship structures, and sexual expression welcome.

Couples counselling is highly rewarding work when both people are invested and willing to work. The work tends to lend itself not only to growth and healing in relationships but also in friendships, parenting and other relationships in peoples lives. On the flip side sometimes couples need support to know when it is time to identify behaviours in themselves or their partner which are incompatible with healthy relationships and to decide how best to proceed.

My approach to counselling typically involves emotional-focused therapy and the Gottman Method. When working with the folks in the relationship, often common issues include misunderstandings, unresolved conflict, criticism, and poor active listening. These problems create barriers to intimacy, communication, and connection. Through our work together, partners can enhance their relationship by learning to interact more openly and listen more effectively, empathetically, and assertively, as well as build trust and identify life goals and responsibilities. I also offer this type of therapy to folks with more than two intimidate partners in the relationship, non-monogamous relationships.